Court Verdict: "Nigeria Bigger Loser, Not Me" – Atiku
Atiku Abubakar has said history would vindicate him following the Supreme Court verdict
Joy Kalu 
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has said that Nigeria as a nation is doomed.
This is coming about 72 hours after the Supreme Court dismissed the former vice president’s appeal for lacking in merit and affirmed the victory of President Bola Tinubu, as the winner of the February presidential election.
In the lead judgment delivered by the Chairman of the seven-man panel, Justice Inyang Okoro, the apex court refused to consider the academic records of the President obtained from the Chicago State University, which Atiku sought to tender as fresh evidence to prove his allegation of certificate forgery against the ex-Lagos governor.
The other justices on the panel-Uwani Aji, Mohammed Garba, Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro, Abubakar Tijjani, and Emmanuel Agim, agreed with the lead judgment dismissing Atiku appeals.
Atiku who spoke during an ongoing press conference in Abuja, on Monday, however, said Nigeria was the bigger loser of the court verdict.
Atiku stated: "At a critical point in my political life, I always chose the path of truth, morality, and rule of law. History will vindicate me.
"It is not about me, it is about our country, Nigeria and the future. It is about the kind of society we want to leave for the next generation and what kind of example we want to set for our children. It is about the reputation of Nigeria and Nigerians in the eyes of the world.
“We showed evidence that Tinubu was not qualified to contest the presidential election because he forged the qualifying academic certificate.”
He added: “The bigger loss is not mine but for Nigeria. If the Supreme Court implies that crime is good and should be rewarded, then Nigeria has lost, and the country is doomed irrespective of who occupies the office.”
